Dragon Lore
by Kali Gargoyle
Summary: A new player has joined the war against the Dragon Lord. They also cause trouble for the turtles. Revised 3-8-02.
1. A New Player

Dragon Lore 

By Kali Gargoyle

Chapter one: A new player 

*** 

"Mikey!" 

If one had blinked they would have missed the green and orange blur that streaked across the room, followed by a green, red, and pink blur. 

Leonardo looked up in time to see Michaelangelo dive behind his chair. The turtle leader looked up at Raphael, who was very angry, and very pink. 

"What happened to you?" Leo asked, returning his attention to his book. 

"Mikey rigged a bucket of paint above my door. Move so I can kill him." 

Leo sighed as he heard Mike giggle. "Just leave him, Raph. You should go clean off that paint before it dries, or it'll itch like crazy." 

Raph just grumbled as he headed for the bathroom. There would be plenty of time later to get his revenge on Mike. Michaelangelo, meanwhile, left his hiding place and patted Leo on the shoulder. 

"Thanks, bro." 

"I wouldn't be here when he gets out if I were you." 

Michaelangelo thought this over for a minute. "I'm gonna go get take out. From that place Raph likes." He turned and bumped into Venus on his way out. 

"Oops, sorry babe." 

Venus narrowed her eyes. "Don't call me 'babe'!" 

"Uh, right, bye." 

Leo only shook his head and set his book down. "Hey, Venus, what's up?" 

"I'm not sure. I felt something strange while meditating. I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen." 

Leo shrugged off Venus' premonition. "It's probably nothing," he told her. When the look on her face didn't change, he added, "At least nothing we can't handle." 

Venus did not look convinced at all. 

*** 

A lone figure sat up in the shadowed rafters of the room. The room below was elaborately decorated. Fit for royalty. The figure shrank back into the shadows as the door to the room opened and a cloaked figure walked in. 

"I must have those turtles!" The Dragon Lord ranted to his sidekick. 

"We will your majesty," Wick replied. 

The Dragon Lord turned. "We?" 

"I…I meant you! Only you, your majesty!" 

The Dragon Lord went back to pacing. "They must have a weakness." 

The figure in the rafters smiled and faded away. 

*** 

(Later that night) 

"Let's move, guys! The system shows dragon activity nearby," Donatello called from his workstation. He grabbed his bo and headed out to the garage. The others jumped up from their various activities and headed for their vehicles. 

"It's Green Time!" 

*** 

"Okay. This is a first." 

Leonardo surveyed the alleyway. He counted five Rank soldiers, which was not surprising. The shocking part was that they were all unconscious. 

"Dudes, someone beat us to it!" Michaelangelo exclaimed. 

"You think?" Raph snapped. 

Donatello scratched his head. "Well, _something _happened here." 

"There's no trace of whoever did this," Venus said. 

"Let's go, guys," Raph said, heading towards his motorcycle. Mike and Donnie jumped up into the Hummer. 

"Hold it!" Leo said. "We need to find whoever did this. They could be trouble." 

Raph rolled his eyes. "Yeah, for the Rank. Anyone who can take out _five_ of those losers is okay by me." 

"I agree with Raph, Leo," said Don. "I mean, this is the Rank. You know, the enemy of my enemy." 

Leo sighed and looked at Venus. She was looking at one of the fallen Rank soldiers with a distant look in her eyes. 

"Venus, are you alright?" He put his hand on her shoulder. 

She jumped. "I'm having that feeling again. Whatever did this is very powerful." 

"Dangerous?" Leo asked, narrowing his eyes. 

"I don't know." 

They headed back to the Hummer, unaware of the dimly glowing red eyes watching their every move. 

*** 

The Dragon Lord could not contain his rage as his defeated soldiers stumbled into their headquarters. 

"Let me guess. The Turtles' interfered." 

"No. A human. In black." 

"One human!" he screamed. "Seven against one and you could not defeat one human!" The minion barely managed to dodge the fire blast from the enraged dragon. 

*** 

Donatello watched his screen with interest. The turtles were all accounted for in the lair, even Raphael, for once. The Rank showed no real activity. However, he watched a smaller blip blink. First it was one place, then it would disappear and appear someplace else. This had been going on for the last fifteen minutes or so before he decided to go check it out. 

He found Leo and Raph sparring. "Hey guys, something weird is going on. I'm gonna check it out, wanna come?" 

Leo blocked a punch from Raph. "Weird how?" 

"Well, I've picked up an unidentified blip but it keeps disappearing." 

"So? Maybe your computer's got a bug," Raphael said. 

Donnie rolled his eyes. "I already did a diagnostic scan. Nevermind, I'll see if Venus and Mike want to go." 

The two sparring turtles shrugged and went back to fighting. 

*** 

"Over here." Donnie moved silently down an alley holding a portable version of his tracking system. 

"What are we looking for?" Mike asked, again. 

Venus shushed him, then whispered, "Anything unusual." 

Donnie looked down the street. "I think we missed it. I'm not picking it up now. There's only some human waiting for a bus." 

Mike looked at the human. "The buses stopped running this line two hours ago." 

"Maybe he doesn't know," Venus said. 

"Well, then maybe we should - hey! Where'd he go?" They all looked back to the bus stop, but no one was there. 

"Was that unusual?" Mike asked. 

"I can't see where he went," Don mumbled to himself. 

Venus shivered. "I have a bad feeling about this. Like when the Rank was attacked." 

"Could this be the guy?" Mike asked. 

"I'm not sure." 

*** 

Back pressed up against the fire escape ladder, an invisible figure looked down upon the three turtles below. They were starting to suspect. That could be trouble. 

The female turtle looked up. _Oh my, can the Shinobi see me?_ The figure chuckled at the thought. 

It didn't matter, since the other two dragged her away. The figure caught a glimpse of their thoughts as they left. _No, they would be no trouble._

*** 

"Three more soldiers gone!" 

Wick backed up. "Unfortunately, yes, my Lord." 

"That is unacceptable. Three nights since the first attack and not a night has gone by that I don't lose soldiers!" 

"Apparently, this person doesn't like you very much." 

The Dragon Lord clenched his fist. "It cannot possibly be a human, nor is it the turtles. We must find this assassin and destroy them!" He thought for a moment. "Bring me Quease. Perhaps one of his machines can help me." 

*** 

"Okay, here's what we know. Someone's been taking on the Rank," Leo stated. 

"And winning," Mike added. 

"And winning," Leo continued. "There's no trace of whoever did it. Donnie's picked up a new blip on the tracking system, which is probably our suspect. And since they show up, they aren't human. But we can't find the source because it keeps disappearing. And then there're Venus' premonitions." 

"That's it?" Raphael asked. 

"Unfortunately, that's all we have to go on," Don answered. 

"Could it be Bonesteel? I mean a dragon'd go for a lot of money," Raph suggested. 

"No," Leo answered. "Our suspect's not human, remember? Besides, he's not _this_ good." 

"It's someone with magical abilities," Venus said. "I sense that they are very powerful, but I don't think we're in any harm." 

Raphael bit back a comment about how _reliable_ Venus' powers were. Instead, he replied, "For now. Maybe they'll come after us when they're finished offing the Rank." 

"No, I don't think so," Venus argued. 

Leo interrupted whatever Raph was going to say next. "We don't have enough to go on. We'll keep doing what we've been doing until we get some more information." 

Suddenly Venus snapped her head up. "Someone's here." Everyone got into ready positions, waiting for whatever was intruding upon their home. 

After a moment, Donatello relaxed. "The security system would have detected something." 

"Let's search," Leo commanded. They all went in separate directions to find whatever Venus had detected and the security system had not. 

*** 

Splinter was awakened from his meditation by a loud crash. He left his room. Right outside the door, several items were scattered on the floor, with Michaelangelo sitting among them. 

"Michaelangelo, my son, are you hurt?" 

"No, I'm fine. Venus says there's someone here, but Donnie's computer didn't pick up anything. We're searching." 

"I will join you," Splinter said, helping his son up. They walked by Venus, standing in the doorway to her room. 

"It's here," she whispered. They entered the room and looked around, but could see nothing. There wasn't really a place to hide in the small car. 

"Shut the door," Splinter told Michaelangelo. Just as the turtle moved to shut it, a blade whooshed by his head and embedded itself into the doorframe. There was still no sign of the intruder. 

Michaelangelo moved to shut the door again, but something slammed into him, knocking him flat on his face. The attack made the intruder visible and they fled out the still-open door. A shadow in black. Venus couldn't even make out the basic figure, they were moving so fast. 

"Stop!" Venus yelled. The intruder ignored the command and leapt into the main room. Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael, who had been alerted by the sound, rushed into the room, weapons ready. 

"Hold it!" The intruder stopped centimeters from Leo's katana, now aimed at her throat. The intruder jumped backwards onto the couch and used it as a trampoline to sail over the turtles. She landed gracefully and barely paused before sprinting towards the exit. 

"After him!" They all took off after the black-clad thief, although Mike fell behind because he hadn't quite recovered from his encounter with the floor. 

Raphael was right behind the intruder, and catching up. He saw the shadowy figure turn a corner and followed. 

BAM! 

Raphael rubbed his beak. "Damn it! Who put this wall here?" _Wait. A wall? A dead-end?_ There's no way that guy could have escaped him. 

"Where is he?" Donnie asked as the rest of the team finally caught up. "I thought I saw him come down here." 

"I'm sure he did," Venus said. 

"He didn't just disappear!" Raphael yelled at the wall. 

"He could have," Venus said. "He was invisible until he hit Mikey. He could have used magic." 

"How do we find him now?" Mike asked. 

"We go back. Maybe he left a clue," Leo said. "At least we can found out what he was doing in Venus' room." 

*** 

"I'm fine dudes," Mikey complained as Donatello checked him for injuries. 

"It's not like he hurt anything he uses," Raphael chuckled. Michaelangelo shot him an unamused glance and shoved Donatello away. Venus wandered in with a confused look on her face. 

"What's up, Venus?" Mike asked. "Did ya find anything?" 

"That's just it. Nothing's missing, and everything's exactly how I left it. Neater in fact." 

"Huh?" Donnie scratched his chin. "Then what was he after." 

"I'm afraid," said Splinter as he entered the room. "That we will find out soon enough," 

*** 

On an abandoned street a manhole cover slowly scraped against the street as it was slid out of the way to let someone through. After looking around, the figure replaced the cover and retreated into the shadows. 

They climbed silently up a nearby fire escape and crawled into a window on the top floor. As soon as feet touched floor, the figure pulled off her mask. 

"That was easier than I thought," the thief chuckled. She pulled a small camera from the pouch on her belt and set it on the table. 


	2. Retrieval

Chapter Two: Retrieval 

*** 

"I've been over everything three times and I still cannot find anything." Venus stomped her foot. "Not even that dagger he threw at Michaelangelo." 

Donatello looked around. "Well, maybe…" he trailed off, looking at Venus' shelves. 

"What is it, Donnie?" Leo asked. 

"Well, I saw this movie the other night. It had a spy in it who used a camera to copy government documents." 

Leonardo thought this over. It did seem like a very plausible idea, and it would explain why nothing was missing. Whoever this guy was, he was good. 

The attacks on the Rank had continued unheeded. Last night, the turtles had managed to get there in time to see a dark figure leap towards a dragon and they both fell through a shadowed wall. _Through it._ And there was no hole or doorway. 

Leo adjusted his bandanna. This was becoming more and more confusing. 

*** 

"Are you sure this will work?" 

"Of course!" Dr. Quease argued. "The Turtles use a computer to track your soldiers, so can we." 

The Dragon Lord stared down at the computer screen. He really didn't comprehend how all those lights could help find his soldiers, but obviously, the doctor did. The doctor pointed to a large grouping of lights in the far right corner of the screen. 

"There are your soldiers." 

*** 

"Uh, oh." 

Mike looked up from his paused video game. "What's up Donnie?" 

"The Rank. But they seem to be moving away from us." He turned around in his seat. "Think they're up to something?" 

"What else is new?" said Raph as he picked up his helmet. 

"They can't be doing anything good," Venus said, tossing down her magazine. 

"Let's move," Leo yelled. 

*** 

"Here we are." Quease stopped and looked up at the building in front of them. It seemed to be abandoned. Probably used to be a warehouse. _An abandoned warehouse, how original._

The Dragon Lord blew open the door. 

"Hold it!" The five turtles leapt from their hiding places and surrounded the small group. Raphael smirked as he noticed that there were only four soldiers with the Dragon Lord. 

"Get them!" The Dragon Lord commanded. He grabbed Quease by the collar. "Come with me." He pulled Quease into the building with Wick trailing behind. 

*** 

The person across the street stuffed their hands into their pockets as the battle escalated. 

__

Uh, oh, she sighed mentally. _I had hoped to hold out a little longer. Now I'll have to do this the hard way._

The person stood casually against a lamppost as the captured Rank were freed and joined the battle. They were no match for the Turtles, and were easily defeated because the captured Rank were a bit weak from their imprisonment. 

"That guy is sure gonna be mad all his prisoners got let out," Mike stated. 

Leo put away his swords. "I expected him to show up." 

"Maybe he's a coward," Raph suggested, but even he didn't buy that. 

Donatello picked up Quease's tracking device, which has been dropped in the retreat. "Too bad." He looked it over. "Maybe I can fix it." 

As the turtles rode off, Wick left his hiding place under a pile of garbage and hurried back towards the hideout. His body jerked as something caught this tail. 

"Hey!" He twirled around as far as his caught tail would allow. A gray and black sneaker was sitting on his tail. His eyes followed a pair of blue jeans to a white tank top and leather jacket. The hands resting on her hips were covered in green iridescent scales that shimmered yellow in the dim lamp light. He could see gold plating over the backs of her hands. Bright green eyes with slitted pupils stared back at him. She flipped her reddish-blonde hair away from her face and smiled. 

"Where's the fire, short stuff?" 

*** 

The Dragon Lord was in a rather good mood that night. He'd gotten all his soldiers back, despite those interfering turtles. Wick had not yet returned, but that didn't worry him. 

In fact, he barely noticed when the petite dragon crawled in a half-hour later. 

"I have a message for you, your majesty." 

The Dragon Lord looked down from his throne. "From whom?"

"The one who kidnapped your soldiers. She said that she didn't care if you got your soldiers back because they won't save you." 

The Dragon Lord laughed. "A human woman thinks she can defeat me!" 

"A dragon, sire," Wick said. "She's a dragon." 

Dragon Lord abruptly stopped laughing. "A female dragon? How interesting. Are you positive?" 

Wick nodded his head furiously. "Oh, yes, your majesty, and a rather attractive one at that, if I do say so." 

Dragon Lord tapped a claw against his chin. "What an interesting turn of events. Get Quease back in here!" 


	3. Confrontations

Chapter three: Confrontations 

*** 

"Man, after all the activity last week, this one seems slow." 

"I hear ya Donnie. The Dragon Lord seems to be in hiding, and whoever was attacking him hasn't made a move." 

The five teenage mutant turtles sat around their TV set, bored out of their minds. Though none of them wanted to say anything because… 

"If you have nothing to do, you might as well get some practice in." 

The turtles groaned at Splinter's request, which they knew from experience was more like a command. Leonardo got to his feet first, like a good student. "Of course." The others glared at him, and he responded, "We have nothing else to do." The others reluctantly agreed. Mikey moved to turn the TV off. 

"And tonight is the opening night of this exhibit. The main attraction is the Dracontias Stone, a one of a kind gem that top geologists from around the world have been unable to classify." 

"Michaelangelo, stop!" Venus said. 

"What?" Mike asked, his hand inches from the TV. 

"That stone, I recognize it from my texts. It's a powerful jewel that's said to grant great power to whomever possesses it." 

"So you think the Dragon Lord will go after it?" Donnie asked, studying the perfect red gem on the screen before the shot went back to the reporter's face. 

"It is said to come from the forehead of a dragon," Venus told them. 

"It looks like things just got a lot less boring," Raph smiled, drawing his sai. 

"And just when I was beginning to enjoy it," Mikey moaned. 

*** 

Just as Venus predicted, the Rank appeared at the museum. 

"Must you Turtles always interfere with my plans!" Dragon Lord yelled. 

"It's our job," Mike replied. 

The Rank leapt into combat with the Turtles. That week of rest had brought them up to full strength, but there were only five here tonight. At one point the Dragon Lord slipped into the museum. Leonardo caught the retreat and motioned for Venus. 

The Dragon Lord was unfamiliar with the layout of the museum and it took him several moments before he found his prize. 

"Ah, a dracontias. With this, I will finally have the power to destroy the turtles." 

"You'll be so powerful," said Wick. "That you won't _need_ to eat the turtles." 

Dragon Lord smiled. "That doesn't mean I won't anyway." He reached for the stone. But before he could grab it, a ninja star knocked the stone away. 

"No!" 

Venus and Leonardo stepped forward. "You're not leaving with that stone." 

"Wrong, turtle!" The Dragon Lord's eyes burned red and he let out a fiery blast at the turtles. Leonardo jumped to the left and Venus to the right, towards the dracontias. She and Wick both dove for it. Venus unceremoniously knocked him away with the back of her hand and grabbed the stone. 

"Huh?" She looked at the small red stone in her hand. She felt no energy from it. No magic. "It's a fake!" she announced. 

"What?" Leo and the Dragon Lord said at the same time. They stopped and stared at Venus. 

"That's impossible," Dragon Lord exclaimed. 

"Here!" Venus threw the stone to the dragon. It sat lifelessly in his hand. 

"No! It must have been removed after death. It does me no good!" He tossed the stone away. "I may not have the power of the dracontias, but I can still beat the both of you." 

"How 'bout five?" 

The other turtles surrounded them, weapons drawn and ready. 

"Give up," Raphael yelled. 

"Never!" The Dragon Lord got ready to let loose another fireball when a net landed on Mike, Leo, and Don. Simon Bonesteel stepped into the room, looking as insane as usual, pulling a covered cart behind him. 

"Well, ain't this a cozy picture?" he said, his crossbow sweeping across the room. 

"We're busy, Bonehead," Raphael growled. "We'll beat up on you later." 

Bonesteel laughed and turned to the Dragon Lord. "I've got a deal for you, dragon." 

"I'm not interested, _human_." 

"Oh, I think you will be." He wheeled his cart out to the center of the room. "I'll help you catch these overgrown pests, and I get two, including the female." 

"You dare insult me like this! I can take care of those meddlesome turtles on my own." 

Mike made a face. "You know it's very rude to talk about a person as if they weren't there." 

"Ah, but I also have this," Bonesteel continued. He grabbed the cloth and pulled it off in what was supposed to be a dramatic movement, revealing his cargo. 

"That's her!" Wick cried. "The She-dragon who captured your soldiers." 

"So it is," the Dragon Lord nodded. She was unconscious on the cart. The only part of her that was not covered by black clothing was her head. Her skin was yellow where the light hit, deepening to green in the shadows. Metallic gold plates curved delicately down her forehead and over her cheekbones. 

"It took quite a bit of sedative to take this girl down, but I did it," Bonesteel gloated. He rubbed his arm. "Though she did get a chunk of my shoulder. Do we have a deal?" 

"Two turtles, for your assistance, and the she-dragon?" the Dragon Lord repeated the terms. 

Bonesteel nodded his head furiously. Dragon Lord looked over the female dragon in interest. The black clothes blended her into the shadows of the dimly lit room, but he could make out well-built curves. 

"Agreed!" 

Meanwhile, Venus and Raphael had freed the other turtles and they were taking the opportunity to escape. Don figured that since they heard no alarm, it must be silent, and the police would be there any minute. 

"After them, hunter!" Dragon Lord commanded. As Bonesteel followed his prey, the Dragon Lord knelt beside the unconscious female. Wick looked over his shoulder. 

"I told, didn't I? Didn't I?" 

The Dragon Lord was too interested in the female to be annoyed at Wick at the moment. He gently tilted her face and she began to stir. 

Her eyes opened, revealing an intense green. She jumped up and positioned herself so that the cart was between her and the Dragon Lord. 

"No need to fear," the Dragon Lord chuckled. 

"I don't fear you," she spat. "I want you dead. I assume you wish the same fate on me." 

"On the contrary, my dear. I want to keep you very much alive. Tell me, what are you called?" 

"Aura." Her eyes turned red as she sent a wall of fire over the cart. 

*** 

Michaelangelo dusted off his hands. "That takes care of that." He stood over Bonesteel, tied up with one of his own nets, sitting on another trap that had failed to catch the turtles. 

"Give it up," Raphael said. "You're never gonna catch us." 

"Oh, I will," Bonesteel promised. "I gave up the pretty dragon lady for you. So, whether I get you, or the dragons do, I still get you." He began laughing until Leo hit him over the head with the hilt of his sword. 

Mikey laughed. "Speaking of which, did you get a load of her? What a babe! We gotta go back and save her from the Dragon Lord." 

Raph rolled his eyes. "Geez Mike." 

Leo shook his head. "The police are there by now, and the dragons gone. We did manage to keep the gem from him, even though it was a fake." 

Venus nodded. "Do you really think the female dragon was the same one who kidnapped the Rank?" 

"Sounded like that's what Wick said," Don replied. "She looked way out of it. He must have put a lot of tranquilizer in her. I doubt she'd be able to stand, much less escape from the Dragon Lord." 

Mikey stuck his lower lip out in a pout. "I hope not. I'll never get a chance with her!" 


	4. Aura's Tale

Chapter Four: Aura's Tale 

*** 

My name is Aura. It means 'golden'. My father named me that because of my coloring. 

This is my story. It actually starts long before I was born, as do many stories like this. It starts several millennia ago, when dragons ruled the Earth. Yeah, dragons did rule the Earth, just like they told you, but those others don't know the whole story. 

See, by nature we dragons are a benevolent race. Beneficial at best, apathetic to the problems of mankind at our worst. One dragon king was very kind. He ruled over humans and the other dragons fairly. Everyone lived in peace and harmony. He was my ancestor, my great-grandfather in fact. 

One day, an army of dragons attacked his palace! In the coup d'état he was killed, and his throne and title were stolen by an evil dragon who named himself the Dragon Lord. The Dragon Lord was evil. The Dragon Lord _is_ evil. He did not, and still does not believe that the humans deserved any kindness or mercy. During his reign, the bonds between dragons and humans were broken. 

Only one member of the royal family survived, the late king's adolescent son. He was taken in and hidden away by a group of mystics. The Shinobi had faithfully served the old king, and refused to bow down before the Dragon Lord. They escaped to the mountains and began to plan. 

After many years, many decades, of planning and fighting, the Shinobi managed to banish the Dragon Lord and his army inside a magick mirror. 

Unfortunately, humans had now come to fear and hate dragons because of the Dragon Lord. Dragons could no longer live beside their human friends. They retreated to the astral realms, only conversing with humans who sought the dragon's wisdom for good. 

The Shinobi stood guard over the mirror as humanity progressed, to make sure the evil dragons would not escape. 

Now, in present day, the Dragon Lord has escaped. The Shinobi tradition had dwindled to two. Master Shaman Chung I was destroyed by the Dragon Lord during the escape. Mei Pieh Chi, his adopted daughter and apprentice, has survived, but is not strong enough to destroy or rebanish the Dragon Lord. 

The original royal dragon line has continued as well. I am the latest. Great-granddaughter of the murdered dragon king, and true heir to the throne. As the next in line, it is my duty to reclaim the throne from the Dragon Lord. The world has been in chaos too long. It's time to bring it back into balance. To welcome a new age of dragons. 

It's been tough going, let me tell you. I totally blew that fight at the museum. I'm still trying to figure out how that idiot human snuck up on me. I felt a prick on my shoulder and pulled out a dart. I turned and lunged at him. My claws dug into his shoulder but he managed to hit me with two more darts. 

The next thing I know, I'm looking up at the Dragon Lord himself! I got away, but I never should have let myself get captured in the first place. Now he knows I'm here and I've lost the element of surprise. 

I don't think the sedative has totally worn off yet. The only reason I was able to get away was the blood rush. I'm running on fumes now. The sun's coming up, so I better go inside. I've always been nocturnal. I don't really need to hide, though, because I can make myself look human, but I don't really like the feeling of _being_ human. Don't get me wrong, humans are okay… well, they have potential… I just don't want to be one! I like my scales and armor just fine. 

I've translated all of the Shinobi's writings. She didn't have much on the Dragon Lord that I didn't already know, and a lot of it was wrong. Her journals were interesting though. I know reading someone's personal diary is rude, but I don't live by those odd human customs. I need information. The latest stuff is the most interesting. 

She writes a lot about the ones she lives with. They are a colorful bunch, aren't they? Their surrogate father, the rat, Splinter, seems to be a wise sensei. No one in that family gives him the respect he deserves. 

Leonardo, according to Venus, has taken up the 'big brother' role. He acts the most disciplined but really isn't as mature as he seems. He has honed his ninja skills to near perfection but seems to be lacking something in other areas. She writes a lot about him. Mostly starting with 'what if' and 'if only'. 

Donatello is the scientific mind. Venus says he doesn't believe in magick, or rather, doesn't understand its importance. But he seems nice enough from her descriptions. 

Michaelangelo is the fun one. Believe it or not, Venus actually enjoys his sense of humor, as long as it's not about her. He calls her 'babe' and 'hottie' and she gets upset. There are worse things to be called, _believe_ me, I think I've been called them all! Venus thinks he has potential if he ever grows up. 

Ah, Raphael. Aside from Leonardo, Venus writes about him the most. About how reckless he is, how he argues with Leonardo, and teases her about her magick. I always had a soft spot for motorcycle riders. There's that wild spirit that makes those rebel types so appealing. Girls like Venus just don't understand why they like guys like that. 

And then there's Venus herself. She's optimistic. She's naïve. She's still an apprentice, even though she has no teacher. She thinks highly of herself and can't really understand the others very well. She doesn't really understand her 'brothers' and refuses to see things from their point of view. 

They all have their strengths I can use and weaknesses I can use against them. If only they could be of more help. 

So that's it. Thank you for your time. 


	5. Let's Talk

Chapter Five: Let's Talk 

*** 

Aura sat on the fire escape ladder outside her window. She was still rather annoyed at herself for letting that human sneak up on her like that. She sighed. Defeating the Dragon Lord was going to be harder than she anticipated. 

"Hello, beautiful." 

Aura winced at the high pitched voice. "Go away." 

Wick walked right up and sat at the foot of the ladder. "I just want to talk." 

"Right," she mumbled under her breath. She pushed up the thin strap of her top and leaned back on her elbows. 

"I'm serious!" 

Aura laughed. "I think the Dragon Lord sent you to spy on me. I hardly think he'd appreciate you playing nice with the woman trying to kill him." 

"Who's going to tell him?" Wick asked. 

Aura smirked. "Such a loyal dragon. All right short stuff, what's on your mind?" 

*** 

"Where are you going?" 

"Out." 

"When are you coming back?" 

"Later." 

Leonardo growled as Raphael rode off on his motorcycle. His brother was so undisciplined, so disobedient. It annoyed Leo to no end. Why couldn't Raph be more cautious at least? Almost every time he went out, something happened. Leo knew this time would be no different. 

"Hey, Donnie, is the tracking system back up yet?" 

Donatello crawled out from under his desk. "Nope. I blew a fuse when I hooked up Quease's machine to the computer. I'll need to replace it. Fortunately, I think I have what I need." 

"Well, try to hurry. Raph just rode off again." 

Don gave Leo an exaggerated salute and ducked his head back under the desk. 

*** 

__

Well lookie here. 

Raph pulled into an alley and walked back a block to check out what he saw. He crawled up the fire escape of one building and leapt to the roof of another. 

"I think you should take your rightful place as the ruler of the dragons," he heard Wick's familiar voice say. 

"Flattery will get you thrown off this fire escape," he heard another voice say. It was definitely female. He peered over the edge of the roof, careful that they didn't see him. Yep, Wick and the dragon lady. He chuckled silently. _She's wearing jeans! I like her attitude, though_. 

"You would do a much better job," Wick went on to say. "You know, fresh blood, a young outlook on life. You could easily beat the Dragon Lord, given the right opportunity." 

"You're setting up the Dragon Lord?" Aura asked carefully. _More like setting up_ me. 

"For the good of all dragons!" Wick exclaimed. _Yep, definitely a set up, or else this guy really has a screw loose._

"Let me get this straight," Aura said, pressing her fingers to her temples. "The Dragon Lord kills my great-grandfather and steals his throne, banishing my family. Then what's left of my family teams up with the Shinobi to trap him, you, and the Rank in the magick mirror. Now, he's back, and we're fighting over who gets to rule the dragons. And you're going to betray him." 

"Right," Wick replied. 

"Why?" 

"For you," he answered simply. 

Aura stared at him with a blank look, with no idea of how to reply to that. Wick gave her a toothy smile. "I'll let you think about it." And then he was gone. 

Aura pulled a chocolate Tootsie pop out of her pocket and unwrapped it. 

"Nice story." 

Aura looked up at the turtle on her roof. She stuck the sucker in her mouth and reclined back on the ladder. 

"Venus tells a different version, but then again I know how 'reliable' her Shinobi information is." 

"What do you want?" 

Raphael leapt down to the balcony. "Nothin', 'cept maybe your name. I don't think we've been formally introduced." 

"I wouldn't think you'd be so nice to me after everything that's happened. By the way, how's your beak? I hope you didn't crack the wall," she chuckled. 

"It's fine, I…wait. _You_ broke into our den!" 

Aura shrugged. "I don't think 'broke into' is an appropriate team. More like 'snuck into'. I needed information. Stuff from Venus' scrolls. Ugh, I can't believe she still has scrolls! I updated to digital a _long_ time ago." 

Raphael chuckled in spite of himself. "Name please." 

"Aura. Pleased to meet you, Raphael." 

Raph was taken aback. "How'd you-?" 

"Know your name? From Venus' writings. Do you want to know what she _really_ thinks of all of you?" 

Raphael balled his hands up into fists. This girl was seriously beginning to piss him off. And as tempting as that last question was, he found himself saying no. "I've never hit a lady before, but there's always a first time." 

Aura stepped towards him, so close he could feel her breath on his skin. "I'm not much of a lady," she whispered. She stuck the lollipop back in her mouth and sat back down. 

It was several seconds before Raph trusted himself to speak again. "Good, cause I ain't much of a gentleman. So you'll excuse me if I leave this party early." He climbed down and made his way to the street below. 

"Hey," Aura called down to him. "Just for the record, my fight is with the Dragon Lord. I have nothing against you or your family." She paused, then added, "Just stay out of my way." 

"Thanks for the warning," Raph called back, not quite hiding his sarcasm. 

Aura leaned over the bar. She watched his motorcycle turn the corner and fade away into the night. She gently banged the palm of her hand against the cold metal and stared down at her fingers. 


	6. The Burning

Chapter Six: The Burning 

*** 

__

It has begun. The Burning. I had hoped that I could have defeated the Dragon Lord before this cycle, but I spent too much time recuperating. Wasted too much time. I can't fight in this condition, not against the Rank, and especially not against the Dragon Lord. Damn it all. I just wish there were a way around it. 

Aura stopped typing. Her shaking hands made it nearly impossible to work the keys. She growled as she looked at her hands. The armor scales were more metallic than usual and the green shades of her skin were now brown, and by morning would be a bright red. 

"Damn." 

*** 

"Doctor!" 

Quease nearly dropped the device he held and mentally cursed. _What does that blasted dragon want now?_

"I need you to find the female dragon," the Dragon Lord commanded. 

"Why don't you send your army after her?" Quease snapped. 

The Dragon Lord grabbed Quease by the front of his coat and lifted him off the ground. "Do _not_ question me, _human_. I cannot send the Rank after her because she is in a delicate condition._ I_ need to be the only one to go near her." 

"And how exactly am I suppose to find her? My last invention was destroyed." 

The Dragon Lord released the doctor. "Then build a new one. Her temperature will be very high. Higher than my soldiers." 

He turned to leave, then said over his shoulder, "Oh and doctor, do hurry. Time is not on my side." 

*** 

"We're stuck in the middle of a dragon gang war!" 

The other turtles and Splinter sat quietly as Raphael ranted about their current problem. 

"At least we're not targets," Michaelangelo said cheerfully. 

Raphael glared at him. "I don't trust that dragon witch." 

"She's not our enemy Raph," Mike argued. 

"Neither is she our friend," Leo countered. "She made it clear that she doesn't really care either way." 

"Why can't we just stay out of it?" Donatello asked. 

"It is your duty to protect," Splinter said. "I doubt Aura and the Dragon Lord will keep their battle away from the streets." 

Leonardo turned to Venus. "I don't suppose any of your books will help us." 

Venus shook her head. "No. I've never heard of anything like this." 

"So we're still flying blind," Raphael grumbled. He slumped down in a ripped armchair and crossed his arms. 

Splinter tapped his chin. "Perhaps you should learn more about the situation." 

"But Venus said that there was nothing in her books," said Mike. 

"Then you should seek out another source. Perhaps a more direct one." 

Leo turned to Raph. "Where exactly did you have your little chat with Aura?" 

*** 

It was much too hot. Aura was lying on her bed with her mini fan. It was only sixty degrees outside but it felt like a sauna. Why did the air conditioning have to choose _this_ week to break down? 

She sat up when she heard someone out on her fire escape. _No, has he found me?_ She listened carefully as her window was slid open. 

*** 

"Are you sure this is the place, Raph?" 

"Yeah, Leo, I'm sure. Come on." 

Raphael stepped into the modest apartment. It wasn't really what he expected, but then again, he hadn't known _what _to expect. The room was dark and there was no sign of Aura. 

"Maybe she's not home," Donatello said. 

Leonardo scanned the walls and found a light switch. "Search the place. Don't mess up or break anything though." 

*** 

Aura sighed. She should go see what they wanted before they tore her apartment apart. She got up from the bed. She reached for the doorknob, but it turned just before she touched it. She had to step back to avoid it hitting her. 

"Whoa!" Michaelangelo exclaimed. "Don't do that!" 

"Sorry," Aura said, not even bothering to fake sincerity. 

Donatello turned around in her computer chair. He'd obviously been trying to access her files. Leonardo and Venus were by her bookshelves. Raphael was right behind Michaelangelo. 

"We need answers," Raphael told her. 

Aura narrowed her eyes, which, Raphael noticed, were red rather than her normal green. Her skin had also changed to red. She wore a short, thin nightgown that looked totally drenched. Raph pushed away the thoughts forming in the back of his mind. 

"You need a question before you get an answer," Aura snapped back. 

Raphael growled and was about to respond when Leo interrupted. "We need to talk." 

"So talk." 

Venus felt herself getting frustrated by this woman's attitude. "Is the story you told Raphael true?" 

Aura put her hands on her hips. "I didn't tell Raphael, I told Wick. Raph was spying. But it is true. I should be on that throne, not the Dragon Lord." 

Venus thought about this. If it was true, it meant that a big chunk of history had been left out of her scrolls. But why? Was it an accident? Intentional? 

"Now get out." 

Venus snapped back from her thoughts. Aura was staring straight at her, as if addressing her alone. Surely she meant the others as well. 

"Are you all right?" Donatello asked, getting up from the chair. "You look…" 

"My condition is none of your damn concern!" she snapped. A few strands of hair fell in front of her face. 

Leonardo stepped defensively in front of Venus. "Fine, we'll go now. Maybe when you're in a more talkative mood, we'll come back." He gently nudged Venus towards the window. Donatello followed, but he still looked concerned. No…more curious than actually concerned. Raphael practically had to drag the gawking Michaelangelo away from Aura. Apparently, his opinion that she was babe had not changed, even in the presence of her current mood. 

Raphael pushed Mike onto the fire escape. Raph was almost out when he ducked his head back inside. 

*** 

"Where's Raph?" Leo asked. 

The turtles looked around. "Eh," Don said. "He's got his bike. He's probably going to blow off some steam. He'll go back home when he's ready." 

Leo nodded slowly and looked back up at the window. _What are you up to?_

*** 

"Listen here, dragon-girl, I can be as stubborn and nasty as you, so let's drop it, 'kay?" 

Aura let her arms slip from her hips. "Fine." 

They stood in silence for several moments. Aura crossed her arms over her chest. "I guess neither of us are any good at this kind of thing." 

"I guess not." Raphael paused. "But seriously, what is wrong with you. I can see you aren't your usual colors, and your attitude is hellish." 

Aura laced her fingers behind her neck and looked up at the ceiling. "It's personal." 

Raph threw his arms into the air. "Oh, well, if it's _personal_!" 

Aura dropped her arms and stepped towards him. "It's none of your god damn business!" she yelled back. 

"It is. If we're going to be casualties in your little war, I think we deserve to know!" 

"Stay out of my way and you won't get hurt!" 

Aura suddenly noticed how close she'd gotten to Raphael. A tingle went down her spine and settled in her belly. She gasped and quickly backed away. 

Raphael looked at her in confusion. Not only confused by her reaction, but by his own as well. He'd enjoyed arguing with her. It was exciting, not aggravating like his fights with Leo. It may be cliché, but she was beautiful when she was angry. 

Aura pushed all her emotions away. "Leave now." 

Raphael stood in place. 


	7. Late This Morning

Chapter Seven: Late This Morning 

*** 

Raphael got in late this morning. I'm kinda worried about him. He doesn't seem like his usual self. He's almost normal. I'd give half my comic book collection to know what he found out from Aura. 

She was totally losing it last night. I was starting to think she'd killed Raph, or Raph had killed her. 

Heh, heh. I think Raph has the hots for her. He'd never admit it though. I can't say I blame him. I don't know if Aura's pretty by dragon standards, but she's a babe by mine! It helps that her skin's green. Kinda. And that figure…wow! Hey, I'm a teenage guy, I'm allowed!

Anywho…Raph walked in with the strangest look on his face, like he was trying to forget something he wanted to remember. He doesn't say hi or anything. He just goes off to his room. What really surprised me was that Leo didn't nag him. No 'What happened?' or 'What'd she say?' nothing. Weird. 

Splinter went to question him later, around noon. He came back and told us there was nothing to worry about, and Splinter would never lie. 

Would he? 

*** 

Raphael got in late this morning. I don't know what was said, or what happened between him and Aura, but I do know his reaction. I saw it in his eyes this morning. Mike and I had just finished morning practice when he came in. I could see it in his eyes. He was angry. 

But then, Raphael's always angry, but not like this. I wanted to question him about it, but something made me stop. The look in his eyes was so… I don't know how to describe it. It was not the general I-hate-the-world anger. It was not Leo-get-off-my-shell anger. It was _hate_. I've never seen him like that. 

I asked Splinter to talk to him, but he apparently couldn't get Raph to talk either. He did tell me in private that I should keep an eye on Raphael. When I asked why he said, "Because he is your brother." 

Like I have a choice. 

*** 

Raphael got in late this morning. I was still working on the tracking system. I replaced the parts that were fried and booted up the system. Raph's blip was making its way towards the lair. 

"Finally," I said, referring to both the computer working and Raph getting home. Home from Aura's. I've been thinking about her a lot the past week. And not the way Mike's been thinking about her either. Well, not entirely. More scientifically. She's the first female dragon we've seen or even heard of. It makes me wonder if there are other dragons out there. I had always assumed the Rank were the only real dragons in the world. 

Well, there was a girl Turtle, why not a girl dragon? At least she's on our side… At least she's not trying to kill us. But I wonder why her features are so human? She really doesn't look like any of the Rank, but it might just be gender differences. And what was wrong with her last night? So many questions. 

I'll ask Raph later. 

*** 

Raphael got in late this morning. I was meditating with Splinter when we heard his motorcycle returning. I looked out the window of the car and saw him go into his room. I looked to Michaelangelo and Leonardo for answers but they just shrugged. I can see that Michaelangelo is curious about what happened after we left last night, but Leonardo is very worried. Raphael knows something we don't. Perhaps he will tell us later. 

He's worrying me. He hasn't come out since he came home. I'd feel better if he started yelling and breaking things. It can't be good for him to keep things bottled up like this. We shouldn't have left him at Aura's last night, who knows what she did to him, the little… 

Oh, my, what am I thinking? What's come over me? I don't like Aura, but I don't really have a reason why. She _is _a dragon, and she obviously doesn't care for us too much, but there's something else I can't really put my finger on. 

Splinter left to talk with Raphael at lunchtime. He told the rest of us not to worry, but I have a feeling he's as worried as we are, and knows only as much. 

Perhaps it is not our place. 

*** 

Raphael got in late this morning. I can sense that something troubles him deeply. He is angry at something beyond his control. It deeply distresses Raphael when he cannot help those he cares about. Of course, he is being stubborn and will not tell me what it is. 

I worry, for I care for him like a son. But I also fear that his reckless nature will cause even more trouble. 

I wish he would let us help. 

*** 

I got in late this morning. The others probably think I've gone crazy. Maybe I have. Leo's probably buggin' to interrogate me, as usual. I wonder why he ain't bangin' on my door. And Mike, he's always sticking his beak into other people's business. Why isn't he in here? 

Splinter came in and gave me a sandwich and a coke. He sat down and asked if I wanted to talk. 

"Not really. I'll be fine." No I won't. He left. I guess he figures I'll tell him later. No. I ain't telling anyone. Ever. If they know, they'll probably try to stop me from killing the bastard. 

Well, last night something happened that just turned my whole goddamn life upside down. Aura finally told me what was wrong with her. I'm in shock. I'm somewhere between running away from her and pulling her closer. I don't even hear the footsteps until the front door is blown in. Aura and I move closer together for protection. The Dragon Lord is standing there. He takes one look at us and freaks. 

"She's mine!" he yells. 

I push Aura behind me and get ready to fight. The Dragon Lord throws me across the room like I was a rag doll. He grabs Aura's arm and twists it. She cries out in pain. 

Somewhere in my head I realize what's gonna happen. But I don't move. He's going to rape her and I can't fucking move! 

"Raphael!" 

Now I move. I pull my weapon and slash at him. I have to be careful that I don't hit Aura. I get a direct hit on his arm, even though it doesn't do much damage against his armor. Aura moves so fast that she was gone before the Dragon Lord could turn towards me. I'm ready to butcher him, but he runs after Aura. I run after him. 

I never caught him, and I don't know if he ever caught her. God, I hope not. She doesn't deserve that, no one does. 

Kinda puts your life in a new perspective, ya know? 


	8. House Guest

Chapter Eight: House Guest 

*** 

Michaelangelo set down his stereo and flipped through his CD's. He'd found this spot a few weeks ago. It had great acoustics and he could play his music as loud as he wanted and no one would yell at him. Finally deciding on a CD, he placed it in the player and pressed play. 

*** 

Aura lifted her head. _Was that music?_ She listened for a minute. 

__

Close enough, she decided and stood up. She slipped into a nearby shadow and followed the enchanting sound. She peered from the shadow and saw one of the turtles that had visited her apartment. He was dancing, or at least doing something that could pass for dancing, to the so-called music. 

The song had a strong beat. She could feel it vibrate through her entire body. She looked at the turtle again. Which one was it? The orange mask and the way he was enjoying himself told her it was Michaelangelo. This would be too easy. 

Aura slipped from the shadow and swung her legs over the sewer pipe. She sat there until Mike turned and saw here. 

"Don't so that!" he exclaimed, placing his hand over his heart. 

Aura tried to smile sincerely. "I'm sorry I frightened you, but I need your help." 

Michaelangelo stopped the CD. He pulled up his belt. "What exactly do you need help with?" 

At that moment, Aura wished she wasn't reading his mind. "You mean Raphael didn't tell you?" She slipped from the pipe and walked towards him. 

"Raph didn't tell us anything," he told her. "So, what do you need?" He tried to reach for her, but she dodged past him. 

"The Dragon Lord is after me." 

"Well, duh!" Mike said. "Who wouldn't be?" 

"I'm serious!" Aura said, finally approaching him. She pressed her hands against his plastron. "Please, you have to hide me. I'll explain it later, I swear." 

Mike looked into her eyes and was totally taken in. He grabbed her shoulders. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you. Besides, what kind of hero would I be if I left a damsel in distress out here all alone?" 

Aura smiled and waited for him to pack up his CD's and stereo. 

*** 

"I really hope you can explain this Michaelangelo." 

Mike cringed at Leo's tone, and was a little more than worried that his brother had used his full name. "I can Leo. She needs our help." 

"So you brought her here!" 

"Yo, what's all the commotion," Raphael stopped when he saw their guest, "about?" 

"Mr. Good Samaritan here found her wandering the sewers and decided to bring her home." By now, everyone had been alerted into the main room. 

"She said she'd explain!" Mike cried. 

Venus looked over at Aura, who looked like she wanted to sink into the couch cushions. "I think it's time for her to do so." 

Aura nodded and took a deep breath. She took a few seconds to compose her thoughts. "I'm not really sure how to put this." 

Raphael stood at the arm of the couch. "Just tell them what you told me, or I'll tell them if you want." 

Aura laughed. "No offense Raph, but I think we need a little more tact for this conversation." 

Don looked her over. "You know, down here, your color change is a lot more noticeable. Is that a part of it?" 

Aura answered, "Yes. I'm going through what we call The Burning. It's part of a female dragon's fertility cycle. It's what drives us to take mates and reproduce." 

"Kinda like dragon PMS," Mike quipped. Venus hit the back of his head. "Please continue," she said. 

"Well, the Dragon Lord knows, and he wants to take me as his mate. Usually it's the female's choice, but he's so damn controlling. Anyway, it'll be bad news if he does. He'll have a legitimate claim to the throne, and an heir for his evil reign." 

"That sucks," Leo said. 

"You said it. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but could I stay here? I can't possibly return to my apartment, and I have no place else to go." 

"What about where you came from?" Venus said. "You haven't always lived in New York." 

"No, but I can't risk travel like this. The Dragon Lord has been unable to find your home, so it was the safest place I could think of." 

Raphael gently touched her shoulder. "I'll show you to the guest car." 

The others turtles looked shocked at Raphael's sudden bout of hospitality. Splinter nodded. Aura took his hand and let him lead her to the car.

Donnie grinned. "Do you think something's going on between those two?" 

"I hope not!" Mike cried. 

"He's just being protective. You know how he is," Leo said. 

Don snickered. "Sure, Leo. Whatever you say." 

Raphael pushed the door open. "You can stay here for as long as you need. If there's anything you need just call me, I mean, any of us." 

"Thanks," Aura said, sitting down on the bed. "Right now, I just want to sleep. I won't be any trouble. I'll probably keep to myself." 

Raph scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, I'm right next door." 

Aura gave him a questioning look as he left her alone. _Next door? He put her next to him?_

Raphael paused just outside the door. He took one look at the faces of his family and turned into his room. 

"Oh, there's something," Don said. "He's not hiding it very well." 

"He's not trying to hide it," Leo said. _He's trying to deny it._

*** 

Raphael walked into the kitchen. Mike was there in his kiss-the-chef apron, making lunch, which was something Raph could not identify and was not sure he wanted to. 

"Hey," Raphael said as he sat down at the table. A minute later Aura walked in. Raphael tried not to stare but found it nearly impossible. She was wearing some old khakis and a Hawaiian shirt they had lying around. Mike instantly stopped what he was doing. 

"What can I do ya for?" 

Aura clutched a glass in her hands. "I'd like some more of that drink, please." 

"The strawberry-kiwi-lemonade? Coming right up. Whatever you want." He pulled the pitcher out of the refrigerator and filled up her glass. 

"Thank you." 

Raphael watched the scene with a stab of jealousy. _What do I care?_ he thought. _It's not as if she means anything to me._

He clenched his fists as Mike gave her a peck on the cheek. Aura gave an uncomfortable smile and backed away, glancing at Raphael as she did. Raphael watched her leave. Michaelangelo let out a slow whistle. "She's really something, ain't she Raph?" 

Mike looked at his brother, who was still staring after Aura's retreating form. "I guess I'm not the only one who thinks so." 

*** 

Venus looked over the top of her book into the kitchen. She watched Aura walk in and ask for a glass of juice. _How can she drink that stuff?_ Venus thought. She turned a deeper shade of green as she watched Mike and Raph's reactions. She mentally chastened herself. _Why should I feel jealous of a dragon? She's the enemy. Or is she?_ Venus felt so confused. 

"Hey, Venus." 

She looked up at Leonardo. "Hello, Leonardo, back so soon?" 

"Yeah, it was kinda quiet." He hid his hands behind his back. "I thought we could go out to a movie. We haven't taken you to one yet, and I saw a good one playing while I was out." 

Venus stood up. "Should we ask the others?" Venus knew the answer by the look on his face. 

"No!" He cleared his throat. "I mean, they've already seen it, and it's not something they would enjoy anyway. Um, shall we?" He held out her hand to her and Venus took it. She noticed that Leo was acting strange but shrugged it off as he began to tell her about the movie they'd be seeing. 

*** 

"What do you think Raph?"   
"Huh?" 

"Earth to Raph! We've been talking about Aura for the last ten minutes. Where've you been?" Michaelangelo waved a hand in front of his brother's face. 

Raphael slapped it away. "Shut up." 

"I think we hit a nerve," Don said. 

"You, too!" Raph stood up. 

Venus sighed and looked away. "It would be much easier on all of us if you just did something about it." 

Leo looked at Venus in confusion. _What did she mean by that?_

Raphael growled at her and headed off towards the garage. Venus winced as the cycle was started. 

Don took another handful of popcorn. "He didn't say no." 

Leo shook his head. "Why does he have to be so difficult?" 

"That's just the way he is. Excuse me." Venus stood up and went into her room, closing the door behind her. 

"What do you suppose that was about?" Mike asked. Donnie shrugged and stuffed the handful of popcorn in his mouth. 

Aura silently slid her door back into place. She sat with her back against it, going over the last ten minutes in her head. As soon as they began discussing her, Raphael had clamed up, when he had been so opinionated about everything else. Venus was quiet too, but she hadn't really been contributing to the conversation. 

Aura leaned her head forward and scratched a persistent itch on the back of her shoulder. 


	9. Matters of the Heart

Chapter Nine: Matters of the Heart 

*** 

Raphael came home to a quiet den. It looked like everyone was asleep. Only one light was on. One candle in Aura's room, he could tell it was a candle by the way it flickered. 

He peeked through the crack in the door and saw her sitting on the bed, legs curled underneath her. The candlelight reflected off her metallic scales. She turned her head towards him and he quickly backed away. He barely heard her move to open the door. It slid open and she leaned against it. 

"Did you just get home?" she asked. 

Raph nodded and turned for his room. Aura grabbed his arm. He turned back and looked at her face. 

"Raphael…" She pulled him inside with ease, closing the door behind her. 

Raph had his back to her. "I need to get some sleep." 

"You can sleep here," Aura replied, walking around him.

Raphael suddenly felt nervous. "I don't think that's such a good idea." 

Aura leaned in close. "Why not?" 

"I… you… we might…" For once, Raphael could not think of one single thing to say. 

Aura absently traced the R on his sash. "Remember what I said, about a female dragon choosing her mate?" 

Raph swallowed and nodded. Aura moved her hands up to his shoulders. "I choose you, Raphael." 

Raph was too stunned to speak. He was powerless as Aura embraced him. 

"I want you, Raphael." 

Raphael pushed her away gently. "We can't." He refused to meet her gaze. 

Aura showed no sign of a reaction. "Raphael, look at me." 

"No." 

She turned his face towards her and kissed him. "Please, Raphael." 

Raph touched her cheek, noting the texture. Small shimmering scales, it reminded him of snakeskin. He turned her cheek and watched it shift from gold to crimson in the candlelight. "I must be crazy." 

Aura pressed her body against his. "I won't force you," she whispered in his ear. She felt his arms wrap around her back and waist and knew his answer. 

*** 

Leonardo couldn't sleep. Something was bugging him. He didn't think anyone else was up, so it surprised him to hear another of the car doors sliding open. He looked through his window and saw Raphael shut Aura's door and go into his own room. 

Leo sat back, completely shocked. Surely his brother hadn't…he wouldn't really… 

Leo shook his head. Suddenly, he became very sure that he was looking far too deeply into the situation 

He went back to thinking about his date with Venus. It hadn't been a real 'date', as far as Venus was concerned. She had enjoyed the movie, but had hardly said anything to Leonardo afterwards. He got the impression that she was uncomfortable around him. She shifted when he had put his arm around her and declined the idea of a walk in the park afterwards. Leo didn't know what else he could do to let her know how he felt. 

*** 

"She's gone." 

Raphael grabbed Michaelangelo by the shoulders and shook him. "What do you mean she's gone?" 

Mike held up a piece of paper in his shaking hand. "Sh-she left a note. It was in the kitchen." 

Raphael snatched away the piece of paper and read it silently, his lips moving periodically. He growled and crumpled it up, tossing it to the floor. 

Donatello picked it up as the angry mutant left the room. He uncrumpled it and read it aloud so they all could hear. "Dear friends. I appreciate your hospitality but the time has come for me to leave you. I will repay your kindness someday, I promise. I'll keep in touch. Aura." 

Leo heard Raph take off on his motorcycle and his thoughts drifted back to last night. "You think she could have waited for us to wake up." 

"Should we go after Raph?" Mike asked. 

Don headed towards his computer. "No need. I think we all know where he's going." 

*** 

"You bitch." 

Aura didn't even turn around, she just continued stuffing her belongings into a suitcase. Raphael grabbed her arm and forcibly swung her around to face him. 

"You couldn't even say goodbye to my face!" 

Aura broke free of his grasp and went back to packing. "I didn't want to disturb you." 

"Disturb me? Disturb me! What's more disturbing than waking up and finding out that the woman you just had sex with has run out on you?" 

Aura spun around. "I didn't run out on you! I was going to call as soon as I got a new place." 

Raphael narrowed his eyes. "What about the Dragon Lord? You were hiding from him, he may find you." 

Aura shook her head. "I'm fine now." They stood in the silence for several moments. "I'm not leaving you, Raph." 

"Damn right you aren't," he said fiercely, though his voice quivered. 

"This new apartment is actually closer to your place," she said, feeling the need to change the subject. "It has a huge skylight and a fireplace. I'm surprised I got it so cheap." 

Raphael sat on the bed, making the suitcase jump a little. "So, you need help moving? Packing?" 

"I can manage." 

Raph took her hand and ran his thumb over the gold armor plates on the back of her hand. "What does this make us? A couple? Lovers?" 

"That and more," Aura replied sweetly. Raphael still held her hand, as if he was afraid she would disappear on him again. "I'm going to need that back," she smiled. 

Raphael smirked. "Nah, I think I'm gonna keep it." He pulled her into a kiss and they fell back onto the bed. 

*** 

Raphael had just gotten comfortable when someone knocked on his door. "Go away," he grumbled. 

Mike popped his head in. "Hey, lover-boy!" 

Raph immediately reached for the nearest thing that could become a projectile. However, before he could throw it, Splinter hit Mikey over the head with his walking stick. 

"Flips! Now!" 

Mikey walked away, rubbing his soar head. Raphael breathed a sigh of relief, but tensed up again when Splinter didn't leave. He groaned and sat up on his bed. 

"They know, don't they?" 

Splinter gave him a small smile. "They suspect. Is there something you would like to tell me?" 

Raphael balled his hand into a fist and tapped it against his knee. "There's nothin' to worry about. I'm a big ninja and I can take care of myself." 

Splinter tapped his stick on the floor. "Does that mean my advice is no longer welcome?" 

"No," Raphael sighed, bracing himself for the lecture he was sure he'd get. 

"I think you are much too young for the life you wish to lead. You need to think of the consequences of your actions before you act." 

Raphael snapped his head up. "And you couldn't have told me this last night?" 

Splinter raised an eyebrow. "I see." Raphael lowered his head again. "I just wish the best for you, my son." 

"I know, and I want the best for me, too, the problem is that we have two different ideas of what is best." 

"Do we?" 

Raphael gave his sensei a look of utter confusion. Splinter just patted Raphael's arm. "You need to live your own life, Raphael. You are just growing up too fast for my liking." 

With that, he left the room. He noticed Venus heading away at a fast pace, then noticed Michaelangelo heading in the opposite direction. He decided to follow Michaelangelo because he thought he would be better prepared for that conversation. 

"Michaelangelo." Mike stopped and reluctantly turned. "I would like to see you in the kitchen." 

Mike followed the aged rat into the kitchen and sat down at the table. "Yes, sensei?" 

Splinter sat across from him. "You were listening at the door." 

"So was Venus!" Mike cried, hoping to shift some of the blame. 

"And I will deal with her as well. Are you upset?" 

"About what? Raph and Aura?" Splinter nodded. "I guess so, kinda. I mean, I think she's pretty, I wish it were me, but I'm not gonna go mental over it." 

Splinter looked over his son. "You are sure?" 

"Yep, I can deal with it. Besides, V's still up for grabs!" 

Splinter blinked in surprise, then shook his head. Michaelangelo could always find the silver lining in any situation. "Speaking of which, if you will excuse me, my son." 

Splinter found Venus in her room, trying to push closed her stuck open door. When she saw him, she gave up and sat down on her rug. "I'm sorry I was spying." 

"I know, but I did not come here to punish you." 

Venus looked up. "Then what?" 

Splinter studied her face. "You've been crying." This was statement, not a question. 

She lowered her gaze and remained silent. Splinter lowered himself to the floor beside her. "Mei Pieh Chi, since you came here, you have become like a daughter to me, I just wish I could be a better father to you." 

"You are!" Venus said, looking up. "I am very happy here, and care for you as much as I do my own father." 

Splinter shushed her. "But I have little experience raising girls. Please tell me what has you so upset." 

Venus mindlessly played with the ribbons on her garter. "I don't know. Raphael and I don't even get along well." 

"Matters of the heart are hardly that black and white, Venus. I don't know what advice I can give you that will help, except that you must move on." Splinter shook his head. "I'm really terrible at this." 

Venus let out a little laugh. "No, I think I'm the one who's terrible at this." She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. "Thank you for being supportive, Splinter, but I believe I must figure this out on my own." 

Splinter stood and nodded. "I will be here if you need anything." 

Venus waited until he left and went back to closing the door. Once she did, she pulled out a red and gold journal from between two books on her shelf. She sat on the bed and opened it to the next blank page. 


	10. Vampire Interlude

Chapter Ten: Vampire Interlude 

*** 

"What was that?" 

Donatello shushed Mike and moved silently through the park. He knelt behind some bushes and pushed them apart. He was shocked to see Chi Chu and Bing standing in the clearing. The child-like vampires were standing over the body of a human. No doubt they had attacked him and he was now dead and drained of all blood. 

Michaelangelo jumped from their hiding place to confront them. Donatello would have been perfectly happy to just sit there and think about what a stupid thing that was to do, but he knew Mike would get killed if he did. 

Chi Chu laughed, causing Don and Mike to cover their ears. Bing grabbed her arm. "We must leave," he insisted. 

"No!" Chi Chu cried. "They must pay for the death of Vam Mi." She glared at the two turtles and jumped. She landed a swift kick to Michaelangelo's chest and sent him flying into a nearby tree. 

Donatello pulled out his bo and swung at the small vampire. She ducked and crawled between his legs. Don turned to face her and Bing made his move. He swung his long braid like a whip and hit the back of Don's knees. Don fell back on his shell. He felt his elbow hit something soft. He looked over and quickly pulled his arm away from the dead body with a cry of disgust. 

Chi Chu stood over him, laughing. More laughter blended in. Softer, deeper, and less child-like. 

Chi Chu stopped laughing. She stared wide-eyed at Bing, who was looking around for the source of the laughter. Mist curled around the edge of the trees. Mikey quickly crawled over and hid behind Donnie. The mist began to shape itself into a dozen or so human-shaped pillars. One stood closer than the others. 

It solidified into a slender feminine form. Thin tendrils of smoke fell down from blood red hair, over pale white shoulders, and disappeared at her black, sharp-toed boots. Her hair was an interesting cut, longer in the front than the back, except for a long thin braid. She looked at Chi Chu and Bing, and then her gaze fell on the turtles. Her eyes were a gold color that would be impossible on a human being. 

The woman smiled, revealing pearl white fangs. 

"I think we're in trouble," Mike whispered. Don could only nod. 

"I am Scarlet," she said. She looked down at the body and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Sloppy work." She narrowed her eyes and the corpse suddenly burst into flames. Donatello pulled Mike farther away from the fire. Mike stared in disbelief. Don looked back towards the red-haired vampire. She kept her gold eyes on the kids. 

"You aren't from around here, are you?" she asked. Her voice had a sharp edge to it. Don involuntarily shivered at its coldness. 

Chi Chu lifted her chin. "No. We are of China." 

"It shows," Scarlet said, tilting her head forward a bit. "But you're in America now, and we have different ways of dealing with things." 

The fire died down and it reminded Don of a spontaneous human combustion victim. Scarlet waved her hand and wind picked up and played in the ashes. 

"First, no more killing humans. We don't need the publicity." 

"That's absurd!" Bing cried. "How can we survive?" 

The woman chuckled. "You can find many willing victims in the underground clubs of this city. It may be hard for you two to get in, though." 

Chi Chu shifted her feet. "Who are you to command us?" 

"I'm the one who's trying to help you survive." 

"We do not need your help!" Chi Chu screeched. She jumped towards Scarlet. Scarlet raised her hand, and with a loud _smack_, Chi Chu was backhanded across the face. The small vampire fell and hit the ground hard, rolling and coming to a stop at Bing's feet. Bing shrank back. Chi Chu wiped the blood from her mouth. 

"Didn't your mother ever tell you to respect your elders?" Her voice held a touch of amusement. "I'm giving you one chance. This is not some Chinese backwood!" Her voice rose in an effort to intimidate the young vampires she was addressing. "This is New York! We can't afford having humans finding out about us. If you're going to live here, you will live like we do, or die." 

She waited for them to respond, and when they didn't, she continued. "I'm sure you've taken blood from banks before, and one of our kind runs a butcher shop not far from here." 

"A _butche_r?" Bing nearly choked on the words. "You cannot really expect that of _us_." 

The woman inspected her dark fingernails. "If you cannot live by our rules, you will have to leave. I will not have a city of humans hounding me again." 

__

Again? Donatello thought. He gulped. _She said they drank animal blood. Did that include mutant turtle blood?_

As if she'd heard his thoughts, Scarlet turned to him. "Do not worry, we do not feed on unwilling sentient beings anymore. That's what led to our last population drop." She turned back to Chi Chu and Bing. "The humans became suspicious and began to hunt us down. We were nearly wiped out in some areas." 

Donatello was now sure she'd read his mind. Vampires were supposed to be able to do that, after all. A business card appeared in Scarlet's hand and she tossed it to Bing. He caught it and bowed. 

"Contact me if you wish to stay, I don't want to hear from you if you decide to leave." She raised a hand and she and her troops became mist once again. Don looked back to Chu Chi and Bing, but they were gone as well. They were alone with the charred remains of the body. 

Mike was shaking. "Let's go home Donnie, okay? I don't want the pizza anymore." 

Don nodded and helped his little brother up. 

*** 

Chi Chu kicked a bucket across the room. "What arrogance! That harlot had no right to speak to us that way." She felt her sore cheek again and knew that a bruise was forming. Although it would heal quickly, it would still be an ugly purple for several hours. 

"She is older than us," Bing replied quietly. "She has more experience than us. Perhaps we should take her up on the offer." 

Chi Chu glared daggers at her companion. After a moment, her face softened. "I miss China." 

Bing lowered his head. "As do I. We should return home. There is no threat there now, with the Shinobi here." 

Chi Chu smiled. "And we will not have to deal with that Scarlet woman. I hate to let Vam Mi's death go unanswered, but if we must... It's agreed, we leave. The sooner, the better." 


	11. Visits

Chapter Eleven: Visits 

*** 

Leonardo looked up from his book when Raphael came in. 

"And where have you been?" 

"Where do you think?" Raphael snapped back. 

Leo grumbled and went back to his latest self-improvement book. Raph glanced at the title in passing. He shook his head and left. 

Venus quickly shut her journal when someone knocked on her door. "Yes?" 

Raphael pushed the door open. "Hey, Venus, how you doing?" 

"I am fine," she said. _Just keep telling yourself that._

"Good." 

Venus just looked at him. He was smiling, like he always did when he returned from Aura's, and holding something in his hands. _What does she have that I don't?_ Venus asked herself. _That's easy. Raphael._

"Look," he held out a leather bound book. "Aura thought you might want this." 

Venus hesitated before taking the book. She looked it over with shock. "Do you know what this is?" 

Raphael shrugged. "She just said to give it to you. That you should read it." 

Venus opened to the first page. Dark black writing flowed over the parchment. "It must date back to before the Dragon Lord's original reign," she whispered. _History. Shinobi tradition written by those who started it._ She clutched the book to her plastron. 

"Thank you." 

Raphael let out a laugh. "It's Aura's gift." 

Venus jumped up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, all the same. I wish to thank Aura as well." 

"Sure, no prob." He smiled at her as he turned to go. 

Venus looked down at the leather bound book in her arms. And after all the mean things she'd thought about Aura… 

"Whoa!" Raphael cried out as Michaelangelo nearly collided with him. "Where's the fire?" 

"Va…vamp…" Mike doubled over trying to catch his breath. Donatello was right behind him, slightly less out of breath. 

Leonardo set his book down and came over. Venus and Splinter joined the group last. 

"What happened to you two?" Leo asked. 

"Vampires!" Donnie gasped. 

Venus frowned. "Not again." 

"We toasted the bitch," Raph exclaimed, earning a disapproving look from Splinter. "Are those two brats makin' trouble?" 

Mikey finally calmed down enough to talk in semi-complete sentences. "Bing and Chi Chu…in the park…more vampires…" 

"More?" Leo moaned. 

Don nodded. "A group from here in New York. They're not like Vam Mi. They offered to take the kids in, but I think they refused." 

"Did they hurt you?" Raph asked, bending down to look at Mike. 

"Nah, just scared the crap out of us. The real victim was that guy…" Mike put his hand over his mouth and ran to the bathroom. 

"Whoa," Leo said, hearing Michaelangelo hurling up his last meal. "Was it really that bad?" 

Don was trying to forget the whole scene. "Yeah, Leo, really creepy. Sit down, I'll give you guys the long version before Mike gets back." 

*** 

Aura was drumming her fingers against a parchment when someone knocked on her window. 

"Raphael?" She looked over. No, it was Venus, in her cloak. 

Aura unlocked the skylight and let her in. "To what do I owe the visit?" 

Venus pushed back her hood. Aura herself was dressed casually in jeans and a man's tailored shirt, tied at the bottom. Venus brought out the book. "I wanted to thank you in person. I hope you don't mind." 

"No, of course not!" Aura said, ushering her to the sofa. "I needed a break anyway. I never wanted us to be enemies." 

Venus paused. "We're not…" she sighed. "You noticed." 

Aura raised an eyebrow. "You mean the outright hostility or the underlying jealousy?" 

Venus dropped onto the couch and set the book on the table. After several moments of silence, Aura cleared her throat. "I found that book while going through some records. I was trying to find something that would help me. I figured that particular book would help you more than it would help me." 

Venus felt sick with guilt. Sitting here with this sweet woman, who was trying to help her, even after Venus had showed her no friendship. 

"I'm sure the other's will be relieved that I will be learning better techniques for control." 

They both laughed. The cheerful sound was interrupted by a knock on the door. Instinctively, Aura went from dragon to human, stunning Venus. Then Venus' own instincts kicked in and she headed for the open bathroom door to hide. A moment later, she heard Aura cheerfully greet the visitor. 

"Venus!" Aura called out. "It's all right." 

Venus walked out cautiously. She saw a tall man in a nice suit. Aura looked like herself once again. The she-dragon poked the man in the ribs and smiled. "Drop it!" she hissed. 

The man grinned and closed his eyes. Just as Aura had, the man's appearance changed. Instead of dragon to human, he went from human to dragon. 

Aura reached out for Venus. "Venus, I'd like you to meet my father, Ignatius. Father, this is Venus, Mei Pieh Chi." 

He held out his hand, which Venus took only after a moment of hesitation. "The Shinobi. I'm honored to meet you." 

"As am I to meet you, sir," Venus replied. "I must go now. Thank you again, Aura." 

Aura picked up the book, making eye contact with her father as she did. He nodded. "You're welcome anytime, Venus." 

After Venus left, Aura turned to her father. "So, you finally got around to checking up on me?" 

Ignatius clicked his tongue. "I'm merely concerned for my only child. The joy and curse of parenting. You'll learn it soon enough." 

Aura frowned. "I'm moving on to Plan B." 

Fear crossed over her father's face. "Is that really necessary?" 

Aura twisted the ties of her shirt. "The slow takeover wasn't working. I'm going to have to take the direct approach." 

Her father frowned. "But Aura…" 

"It's the only way. I can't let him get any stronger, learn to use the magic here, or I may never be able to beat him." 

Ignatius pulled his daughter into his arms. "Wait out the term at least…" 

"I can't!" Aura pushed away. "I know the risks. I _have_ to do this, no matter the costs." 

Her father stared at her in silence. "You aren't going to tell him, are you?" 


	12. Mending Broken Hearts

Chapter Twelve: Mending Broken Hearts 

*** 

Aura climbed down the ladder that led down into the Turtle's home. She was greeted cheerfully by Michaelangelo, who had been watching TV at the time. "Hey, Aura, how's it going?" 

"Fine, Mikey. I need to talk to Raph." 

He pointed to the dojo. "Your boy-toy's sparring with Donnie." 

Aura smiled at him and headed in that direction. Mike sighed and wished once again that she was coming to visit him. 

"What is wrong with you?" 

Mike walked towards the sound of arguing. That was Leo's voice, and he was curious as to whom their leader was arguing with. 

Venus' voice was just as loud. "_You_ seem to be the one with the problem!" 

Mike took a place beside the outside of the door, where he could still hear but couldn't be seen. 

"I thought you'd be glad that I was getting some help with my magic," Venus continued. 

"Not from _her_. You can study on your own." 

"I can't believe you don't trust her." 

"I can't believe you do!" Leo shot back. "No matter how she acts, she's still a dragon and we can't trust her." 

Mike heard Venus gasp. "Leonardo!" 

"I can understand Raph, I'm used to him being stupid. I thought you had more sense." 

"She wants to help me." Venus sounded like she was near tears. 

"I'm certain she has some ulterior motive." 

"Why can't you be more like Raphael?" 

It was then that Michaelangelo realized that someone might have to go in there and break it up. Where was Splinter? Oh yeah, in the park with Andre. Damn. 

"And be seduced into turning my back on my family?" 

"He hasn't betrayed us." 

"I'm sick of you defending him lately. It's not like he cares about you." 

Mike jumped at the sound of the slap. He hadn't seen that coming, and he bet that Leo hadn't either. Venus ran from the room in tears. Mike briefly glanced at Leo, slumped down in a chair holding his cheek, before running after Venus. 

He followed her down one of the tunnels and saw her slip into one of the old maintenance rooms. He approached quietly and knocked. 

"Go away!" 

"It's Mike," he said, pushing the door open. "You okay?" 

"Do I look okay!" Venus snapped. 

"Not really," he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. She didn't laugh so he decided to be serious. "I heard your argument," he said softly. When she didn't answer, he continued. "I bet Leo didn't see that coming. I'd love to see him explain that to Splinter." 

Venus let out a small sigh. "I shouldn't have slapped him." 

"You shoulda decked him." 

Venus smiled up at Michaelangelo. 

"I mean it," he said. 

Venus wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "Thank you, Michaelangelo." 

"Mike." 

"Huh?" 

Mike smiled. "Call me Mike. The others do. Or Mikey. Only Splinter still says my full name, or Leo when he's mad." He sat down next to Venus. "So, come here often?" 

For some reason, the statement amused Venus, when usually it would have annoyed her. "Not really." 

"It's kinda nice, in a dirty, dark, abandoned sort of way." 

"It matches my mood." 

Mike looked over. Great, she was getting depressed now. He took the end of his bandanna and dried her eyes. She smiled and held his hand against her cheek. She felt so much better now. 

"Ahem." 

They both jumped and looked towards the door. Donatello was learning against the frame wearing an amused grin. 

"We were…" Venus started. 

"Talking," Mike finished, standing up. He gave Venus a hand up. 

"Uh huh," Don smirked. "Splinter just got back and he's talking with Leo. He wants to see you next, Venus." 

Mike squeezed her hand. "Don't freak, it'll be okay. Just explain and apologize and he'll go easy on you." 

*** 

Raphael looked out the bedroom window. "Almost light, I better get going." He was the only one to hear this because Aura was asleep at the moment. Raph took a minute to watch her. 

She was so beautiful. He couldn't think of a single thing that he'd done to deserve her. He'd told her that once, and she just said, "Me neither." 

He watched her breath. Deep, regular breathes through parted lips. He brushed aside a lock of hair and kissed her cheek. 

She stirred. "Hmmm…Raphael?" 

He bent down. "Yeah?" 

"What time is it?" she asked, looking at him through half-open eyelids. 

"Time for me to go. I gotta bug Leo again, 'bout getting hit by a girl." 

Aura lifted herself up. "Prob'ly had it comin'." She flopped back down on her stomach. Raphael gave her butt a quick slap on his way out. She hissed in his general direction but didn't move. 

"I really tired you out, huh?" he smirked. 

"You wish! I've been training, building up my powers. I probably shouldn't have expended so much." 

Raphael gasped and feigned shock. "And have me go without? You wouldn't be that cruel, would you?" 

Aura laughed and threw a pillow at him. He caught it easily. "You're really gonna do this," he said. "One-on-one with the Dragon Lord?" 

Aura turned her head to face him. "I have to Raph. There's no other way." 

He still didn't like it, but if there was no other way…or was there? 


	13. Final Battle

Chapter Thirteen: Final Battle 

*** 

The Dragon Lord pulled the arrow out of the back of his throne. Fortunately, he had not been sitting there at the time. He snapped the string with his claw and uncurled the note. 

__

Such lovely penmanship, he thought as he read. 

"My Lord?" asked one of the Rank. 

Dragon Lord crumbled the letter in his hand. "If she wants a fight, then she will get one." 

*** 

"No way, Raph." 

Raph stared Leo down. "I ain't askin', Leo. We're going to help her." 

"Why?" Leo snapped. "This is between her and the Dragon Lord, no one else. It would be wrong to interfere." 

"She could be killed!" Raph argued. 

"Then so be it." 

Splinter struck the floor with his staff. "Enough!" 

Both Turtles stopped and faced their sensei. Splinter closed his eyes. "What do the rest of you think?" 

Mike spoke first. "I say go for it! She's our friend. She would help us." 

Don disagreed. "Yeah, but this is a fight for dominance. It's supposed to be one-on-one. Aura and the Dragon Lord." 

Venus felt all eyes on her. As the fifth Turtle, she was now the tie-breaking vote. "If we're careful…" 

"Three to two! That's it, we help," Raphael exclaimed. 

Splinter glared at him. "I have not decided, Raphael." He paused for a moment. "We are sworn to protect." 

Raphael grinned. 

"But we must adhere to the rules of honor." 

Leonardo smirked. 

"But I do not expect the Dragon Lord to follow those same rules. He must be stopped at all costs. She may lose this battle, but if you fight, so may you." 

"Well?" Raphael asked impatiently. 

Splinter shook his head. "This is one time I cannot force your decision." 

"I know my decision," Raph said. 

"Me, too!" Mike joined in. 

"Count me out," Leo said. Don nodded in agreement. 

All eyes were on Venus again. "I will fight. The Dragon Lord killed my father. I will help destroy him." 

*** 

Aura waited at the designated battlefield. She turned in a full circle, admiring the scenery and getting a feel for the energy fields and lines in the area. This would do fine. Hopefully, Dragon Lord hadn't had time to study up on the advances in magick in the last few millennia. 

She felt a breeze and turned. The Dragon Lord was standing about twenty feet away from her. The Rank surrounded them, but only as spectators. They wouldn't dare interfere. They would be good soldiers and bow to the victor. 

Dragon Lord bowed to her. "I must admit, this is a surprise. I didn't think you'd risk this." 

Aura stiffened. Damn, he knew. "You must be stopped," she said coldly. 

"Then let's begin." 

Aura pressed her hands together and they were surrounded by a bright yellow-gold. The Dragon Lord's eyes burned red as he drew his sword. 

*** 

Raphael pulled the binoculars from his eyes. "They've started." 

Mike grabbed the binoculars and watched. Venus stood behind them, clutching her book to her chest and praying that this would work. 

"Are you ready?" Raphael asked. 

Venus nodded. "She needs to wear him down." 

Raphael snatched the binoculars away from Mike, leaving the turtle looking through his empty hands. 

*** 

Dragon Lord stumbled back from Aura's last blow. This was not going well for him. Not only did Aura have the advantage of youth, but she was also a powerful sorceress. Damn her. 

He raised his sword to deflect another blast. She wasn't even tiring. And except for a lucky shot to her left knee, Dragon Lord was doing poorly. He only had one chance. 

He moved swiftly, ducking a fire blast, and grabbed her by the throat. She let out cry before starting to choke. Her feet dangled in mid-air. 

"Last chance," Dragon Lord hissed. "Concede, and I will let you, and the child, live." 

"You will die," Aura gasped. 

"Very well, you've brought this upon yourself." He placed his free hand over her belly and focused. Several of the Rank turned their heads away. 

Aura threw her head back and screamed. 

*** 

Michaelangelo chased after Raphael. As soon as Aura screamed Raph had taken off like a shot, totally ignoring his teammates and their plan. 

Venus cursed in Chinese and ran after them. 

The Rank turned in surprise as Raphael crashed through their numbers. He took down two with a double kick and kept going. Dragon Lord seemed oblivious to the enraged turtle heading towards him. 

Mike watched his brother tackle the Dragon Lord. Aura rolled aside and remained still. Mike ran to help, but found several Rank blocking his way. 

Raphael sat on the Dragon Lord's chest and pounded his face. Again. And again. And again. 

"Don't you ever" _Punch_ "fuckin'" _Punch_ "touch her" _Punch_ "again!" 

Dragon Lord shoved him off and slashed with his sword. Raphael took the blade across the arm. 

Raphael used his sai to catch the sword before another strike could hit. It went flying and imbedded itself into the ground. 

Raphael stood between Aura and the Dragon Lord. He could hear her gasping for breath, so that meant she was still alive. 

When the Dragon Lord made a sudden move, Raphael threw his sai. The dragon cried out and grabbed his bleeding shoulder. The sai had managed to hit between the plates of his armor. Raphael used the distraction to check on Aura. 

Dragon Lord removed the sai and prepared to use it on its owner. 

"No!" Michaelangelo yelled between punches. 

Suddenly, the Dragon Lord stopped with a jerk. He fell to his knees and gurgled, then fell forward to the ground. 

Behind him stood Venus, holding the Dragon Lord's sword, which was now stained with his own blood. An aura of pale blue surrounded her and the sword. Raphael stared at her a moment before going back to Aura. The Rank stopped fighting and stared. 

Michaelangelo approached Venus, but was hesitant to reach out to her. 

"Venus?" he asked cautiously. 

Venus looked down at the body of her enemy, her face completely blank. 

Aura coughed and Raphael helped her sit up. 

Mike gently touched Venus' shoulder and she started, like she had been in a trance. She looked at her hands and dropped the sword. The light faded. She gasped and turned into Mike's arms. 

"It's all right, Venus," Mike soothed her. 

Aura's eyes were glazed over as she watched them. "Raphael?" 

"I'm here, baby." 

She let out her breath in short sobs. "I'm so sorry." 

Raphael placed her head on his shoulder and tried desperately to ignore all the blood coming from his lover. "I forgive you." 

*** 

The four returned to the lair. Don did a double take and hurried for the first aid kit. Splinter and Leo helped them to seats. Mike and Venus weren't physically hurt, but Venus was eerily quiet. Aura had taken the worst, and Raphael never left her side. 

For the longest time, no one spoke. It was Don who broke the silence, while rinsing out a washcloth. "I assume you won." 

"The Dragon Lord's dead," Raphael said grimly. 

"You killed him," Leo said, narrowing his eyes at Aura. 

"I did." 

He turned to Venus in confusion. 

"I did it. I killed him." She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Leo watched in silence as Mike rubbed her shell. Splinter looked down and returned to bandaging Aura's knee. 

Aura touched Raphael's shoulder. He tried to smile but ended up just turning away. 


	14. Aftermath

Chapter Fourteen: Aftermath 

*** 

Aura turned the Dragon Lord's crown over in her hands before setting it back into the trunk. 

"Your majesty." 

She turned to the Rank soldier, who bowed to her. 

"Yes." 

He moved aside and let Raphael pass. "Hey, babe." 

Aura smiled and jumped into his arms. "What are you doing here?" 

He stepped back to admire her red gown. "You think I need an excuse to visit the Dragon Queen I love?" 

Aura giggled. Someone coughed in the background. "Oh, Raphael, you have to meet my father!" 

"Father?" Raphael squeaked. 

A tall dragon approached from the shadows, an amused smile on his face. "You must be Raphael. I am Ignatius, I'm glad we could finally meet." 

"Uh huh." Raph glared at Aura. _You could have warned me_, he mouthed. 

Aura just smirked. Ignatius looked from Raphael to his daughter. "I'm sure you two have much to discuss." He straightened Aura's crown. "I'm so proud of you." He kissed her forehead and left the two alone. 

Aura took a seat on the throne and Raphael stood in front of her. 

"Were you ever going to tell me?" he asked. Aura could see the barely contained anger behind his eyes. She looked off to the side and didn't answer. 

Raphael gritted his teeth. "Damn it, Aura, I thought we were past keeping things from each other. I thought you trusted me. You didn't even tell me you were pregnant." 

Aura leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees. "I'm sorry, Raphael. I thought I could beat him with no trouble. I didn't think he would know." 

"_He_ knew and I didn't!" Raphael yelled. 

Aura covered her face with her hands. "Do you think it was an easy choice for me, Raphael?" 

Raphael felt his anger melt away. She must be going through hell. He was so upset that he hadn't even considered her feelings. He could be such a jerk sometimes. 

He wrapped his arms around her as she started to sob. Nothing was said because it was not needed. They both knew. 

*** 

Michaelangelo poured Venus another glass of milk. She hadn't spoken a word since the fight. Leonardo wasn't helping at all. He was giving them all the cold shoulder, and had even gone so far as to tell Venus, "I told you so." 

Donatello was a little better. He spent less time with his computer and tried his hardest to console his family. 

Venus set her glass down. "Mike?" 

Mike looked up at her and tried to hold back his surprise that she had spoken. "Yes?" 

"Do you think I did the right thing?" 

Mike looked back down at his cereal. "Maybe. I don't think it was wrong." 

Venus rested her chin on her hand. "I keep seeing it." 

Mike nodded. "You always will, I guess. I was only fifteen when I killed for the first time, but that's how we were brought up. I still see it." 

"You're not making me feel better." 

Mike patted the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, Venus, but if you hadn't, Raphael and Aura might have been killed. It's just the life we lead. Death is a part of life and we have to accept it." 

Venus blinked in surprise. "You actually listen to Splinter's lessons!" 

Mike winked at her. "Shh, if they know, they'll expect more from me." 

Venus giggled. It was so good to hear her laugh again. Unfortunately, the happiness was short lived. 

"I'm blaming _you_ for this, Raph." 

Mike put his arm around Venus. "Come on, we'll sneak out the back way." 

"No," Venus said. "This is partly my fault." 

"Fine, Leo, blame me if it makes you happy. But do _not_ take it out on Venus." 

"Stuff it, Raph." 

"Stuff it? What do you think this is Leo, a kid's TV show? You can use stronger language than that." 

"Fuck you!" 

"That's better." 

"Your reckless behavior is the reason for this. If you hadn't dragged her along…" 

"It was her choice! _Her decision._ She had a right to avenge her father's death. At least I don't treat her like a child." 

Venus stepped into the garage where Leo and Raph were fighting. They didn't even notice her. 

Leo shoved Raph, who shoved back. Soon, blows were flying. Venus backed up into Mike, who put his hands on her shoulders. Splinter and Donatello stood behind Mike and Venus, ready to intervene if need be. 

"Don't blame everyone just 'cause you were a coward." 

Leo's fist hit Raph square in the jaw. He tripped him and Raph hit the ground. Leo punched the wall as he left. Out into the city. 

Mike was the first to speak. "He'll be back." He didn't sound too sure, but this was Leonardo here. He wouldn't, couldn't abandon them like that. 

*** 

Aura heard the ruckus and left her personal quarters to see what all the commotion was about. She came in just in time to see Leonardo flatten one of her soldiers. When he saw her, he stopped and glared at her. 

"It's your fault," he said through gritted teeth. 

Aura motioned for the guards to stand down and leave them. Her green silk robe trailed behind her as she approached him. 

"The fault is mine," Aura said. "I dragged you all into this." She turned away from him.

She heard Leo pull his sword. Still, she didn't turn. "You can't hate me more than I hate myself." 

Leo stopped his advance. She turned to see a look of total confusion. She gave a weak grin. "You don't know." 

"What? That you've torn our family apart? I see that clearly. All you cared about was defeating the Dragon Lord." 

Aura ran her hand over a low shelf. "True. I had to defeat him, regardless of the costs. No matter how high." 

Leonardo grew tired of her confusing words. "As if it cost you anything!" he yelled. 

"It cost me my child!" Aura yelled back. 

Leo dropped his sword. "Dear god…" He remembered back to that night. All that blood couldn't have come from her knee. It seemed so obvious now. 

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What did _you_ lose?" 

Leo was at a loss for words. Anything he could name would pale in comparison with her pain. "I had no idea…my god." He paused. "Does Raphael know?" 

"Yes," Aura replied harshly. "When I gave the challenge I had hoped… but it's too late now." 

She seemed broken, so pitiful, leaning against that shelf. 

Leo picked up his sword. He looked at his reflection in the blade. "The Dragon Lord is to blame," he finally said. "I was wrong. It was _his_ evil that spawned this. Even his death doesn't give us peace. Please, accept my humblest apologies, Aura." 

Aura looked over at him, all malice drained from her face. She just looked tired. "I do, because I know how much pain you and your family must be going through. But this is far from over. Dragon Lord's death has left a void in the world. Something will have to fill it." 

Leo sheathed his sword. "When that time comes, I hope we can get through it better than this round." 

"Oh, I hope so." Aura smiled. "But without the pain, we would take happiness for granted." She took his hand. "You have a brave soul, Leonardo, and you have a good heart." 

Leo smiled and bowed. "If you'll excuse me, your highness, I have some more apologizing to do." 

Aura returned the bow and waited for him to leave before returning to bed. 

*** 

The end. 


End file.
